Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Art Paris Art Fair

Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Art Paris Art Fair ⇒ 2018 marks the 20th anniversary of Art Paris Art Fair. Since its foundation in 1999, this fair has established itself as Paris’ leading modern and contemporary Spring art event. From 5 to 8 April, the 2018 edition will play host to 142 galleries from 22 different countries, providing an overview of European art from the post-war years to the current day, while leaving room for the new horizons of international creation from Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Open to all forms of artistic expression, including video art and design, Art Paris Art Fair offers a theme-based approach emphasising discovery and rediscovery. This year’s guest country is Switzerland and the fair will also be taking a close look at the French art scene with a new theme developed especially for the twentieth anniversary, as well as the monographic exhibitions in Solo Show and emerging artists in Promises.

On one hand, the 2018 selection is characterised by the arrival of new countries, such as Canada (Christopher Cutts Gallery), Portugal (Galeria Carlos Carvalho), Russia (Art 4 and K35 galleries from Moscow), Kuwait (CAP Contemporary Art Platform), the Czech Republic (Cermak Eisenkraft Gallery) and Saudi Arabia (Misk Art). On the other hand, by the influx of renowned Parisian galleries, who are either returning to the fair or participating for the very first time. In the latter case, there are LOEVENBRUCK, Thomas Bernard-Cortex Athletico, Backslash, Dominique Fiat, Eric Dupont, Odile Ouizeman, Alain Gutharc, Jean Brolly, Polaris and Bertrand Grimont, not forgetting Galerie Particulière, Eric Mouchet and Zlotowski.

For its 20th anniversary and in reference to its initial vocation of supporting the French art market, Art Paris Art Fair asked exhibition curator and art critic François Piron to take a subjective look at the French art scene. The idea was to select 20 artists among the projects presented by participating galleries and to produce an in-depth textual analysis of their work. His choice puts the spotlight on some unique figures from the 1960s to the present day, artists who have managed to preserve their independence or stayed on the margins of mainstream culture. Their work today deserves both to be reinterpreted and enjoy greater visibility. Some monographic exhibitions will notably allow the public to revisit the psychedelic works of 70s counter-culture dandy Frédéric Pardo (LOEVENBRUCK), Hessie’s feminist embroideries and collages (Galerie Arnaud Lefebvre), stencil art by Blek le Rat (Galerie Ange Basso) – who was a pioneer of urban art in the 80s -, blue monochromes by Geneviève Asse (Galerie Oniris Florent Paumelle) or Vincent Gicquel’s tragi-comic paintings (Galerie Thomas Bernard Cortex Athletico).

Art Paris Art Fair has forged its reputation by exploring foreign art scenes. After Africa last year, Switzerland is the 2018 guest of honour. The prolific and diverse Swiss art scene, with its taste for minimalism and offbeat sense of humour, is like the country itself, lying at the crossroads of different European traditions and cultures. Art historian and exhibition curator Karine Tissot has been entrusted with the Switzerland Guest of Honour programme, which will endeavour to promote the wealth and diversity of the Swiss scene with a rich programme.

As mentioned above, the event will also include Promises and the Solo Show. The Promises sector hosts 12 young galleries in existence less than six years, which may present up to three emerging artists each. The L’art est vivant/Promesses prize rewards a young talent represented by one of the Promises sector galleries at a key moment in his/her career. As to the Solo Show, it is a monographic exhibition that offers a special moment in an artist’s career as it helps to develop a better understanding of his/her work. The 2018 edition features an unprecedented number of 35 solo shows featuring international artists.